Review of Validation of U.S. Passports for Travel to Czechoslovakia is Urged

August 23, 1967

WASHINGTON (Aug. 22)

Secretary of State Dean Rusk was asked today to consider whether to continue validating American passports for tourist travel in Czechoslovakia in view of the conduct of Czech authorities in connection with the death of Charles H, Jordan, executive vice-chairman of the American Joint Distribution Committee.

The request came from Rep. William S. Broomfield, Michigan Republican, a member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. In a letter to Secretary Rusk, the Congressman said that “in view of the callous and arrogant disregard for the United States displayed in the Czechoslovakian official attitude, I feel that our Government should make immediate and firm representations.”

Rep. Broomfield said the U.S. Embassy’s request to have a representative at the autopsy was dealt with in such manner as to indicate that the Czech’s might have something to hide in connection with Jordan’s mysterious death, “I can see no other reason why Czech authorities did not convey a timely and proper notice of the autopsy to American authorities in response to their prior request,” he told Secretary Rusk.

“If this is to be the attitude of Czechoslovakia toward the United States in this case involving the death of a distinguished American citizen, the time has come to review validation of passports for travel by our citizens to that country. The least we can expect is a strong apology and convincing explanation of the suspicious and evasive conduct of Czechoslovakian authorities,” Rep. Broomfield said in his letter to Mr. Rusk.

Addressing a national convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, in New Orleans, the newly-elected national commander of the Jewish War Veterans, Samuel Samuels, accused Czechoslovakia of anti-Semitism in the death of Mr. Jordan. “Czechoslovakia,” he said, “should be eliminated from travel considerations by United States citizens, particularly by American Jews, and a boycott of the Czech pavilion at Expo 67 in Montreal by all Americans would be an appropriate protest against this new wave of anti-Semitism.”